John Lewis deals

Website: John Lewis*
Start date (online): Most deals launched at 5pm on Christmas Eve
Sale strength: The sale includes discounts of up to 50% off home, fashion, toys, furniture and more, as well as various offers on a range of electricals. It also matches competitors' reductions.
Likely to boost? Last year, on Thu 10 Jan, John Lewis added further reductions to its clearance, where we found discounts of up to 70% off. We predict it could boost its sale further in Jan again this year.

Here are some examples we spotted on Tue 5 Jan:

• Luminarc Charlotte glass tumblers, set of six* - £9 (were £19)
• Four Seasons faux fur collar coat* - £99 (was £199)
• Longchamp microknit shoulder bag* - £84 (was £120). Next cheapest, £94.50 at Longchamp.
   

Don't assume John Lewis is cheapest even in a sale. Always do your own price comparison to be sure you're getting the best deal.

Board games are an integral Christmas Day activity for many, as well as a good idea for a gift with plenty of mileage, so we've rounded up the best deals on some of the most popular titles. Plus, given the current restrictions, we've suggested how you can adapt a few of the most popular games to play virtually. 

The Government's guidance for staying safe over Christmas suggests avoiding playing board games with members of different households because of the risk of contamination, and only playing with members of your own household. So if physical board games are off the table for you, we've highlighted below whether or not you can adapt each game to be played over video call instead, and listed an app or online version, if this is available – though these may not be like-for-like to a physical copy. We've mentioned some virtual games and quizzes below, too.

Most popular and highest rated board games

We researched the best board games by scanning review listicles and best seller lists (see all our sources below), and collating some of the titles which appeared most often. The results cover both new and classic games, and varying levels of difficulty. For more about how to play each game, see our 'what's the gist?' table below.

Prices at 5.56pm on Tue 22 Dec

Classic board games

Prices at 5.56pm on Tue 22 Dec

Top board game picks from MSE HQ

Prices at 5.56pm on Tue 22 Dec

More virtual games

If you're not fussed about physical games, perhaps you'd rather keep your gaming solely in cyberspace where human infections hold no sway. In that case, if the games listed above don't take your fancy, there are plenty of free sites you can use to find games of your choice.

BoardGameArena features a selection of popular games and lets you play online against friends or strangers. If you've had enough of board games after reaching this section, you might prefer the free quizzes over at Sporcle.

If your Christmas game-playing usually involves a festive tipple, see our Christmas bubbly deals.

You can get a full school uniform (ages 3-16) at John Lewis* from £23 online and in stores. Delivery's £3.50 and Click & Collect from selected John Lewis and Waitrose stores is £2.

When we looked on Tue 2 July, selected uniform items were reduced in the John Lewis sale - so you may find you can stock up for slightly less.

What do you get?

• 3x polo shirts* - £7-£15
• Sweatshirt*- £6-£12
• 2x skirts* - £9-£15
• Boys' trousers* - £9-£15

Prices vary depending on size. Since several sizes are out of stock online, it's worth visiting a store for extra availability if you're able to.

Delivery usually takes five working days.

Important: If you live in Wales, it may not be possible to buy non-essentials at the supermarket during the lockdown and online shopping might be your only option. The rules are changing often, so keep an eye on our Life-in-lockdown guide which contains links to the Government sites for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

There are always ways you can save money at John Lewis*, so even if there isn't a cracking deal out there that works for you, don't assume you can't cut your costs further.

Ways to save money at John Lewis include:

• £2 Click & Collect. Save on delivery if you're spending less than £50 by collecting your items from a store (find your nearest*). Orders of £50+ get free delivery, and £30+ orders get free Click & Collect.


• Try haggling. We polled 1,400 MoneySavers to see in which shops they had most success haggling, and John Lewis shoppers had a success rate of 72% - so it's definitely worth a try if you're feeling brave. Read our Haggle on the High Street guide for more haggling tips.


• Shop in the sale. John Lewis has a long history of price-matching its rivals, so watch out when Debenhams or House of Fraser has sales on, as chances are you’ll get similar discounts in John Lewis.


• Check similar retailers, eg, Debenhams, House of Fraser. If you're not committed to buying from John Lewis, check for deals from other department stores such as Debenhams, House of Fraser and Selfridges, where you may find there's a better offer.


• Had a problem with John Lewis? There’s a free online tool you can use to complain – it helps draft, manage and if necessary escalate your complaint. It’s offered by a firm called Resolver, which we like so much we work with it to help people get complaints justice – you can use it to complain to John Lewis*.
  
  

If you spot any hot deals we've missed (we are human after all!), please let us know on Twitter @MSE_Deals or by emailing us at msedeals@moneysavingexpert.com.